Crystal Canyon Natural Area

One of Arlington’s newest parks, which was dedicated on May 29, 2012, Crystal Canyon Natural Area is a geology lover’s paradise in the heart of North Arlington. It contains a very diverse geologic profile with evidence that suggests a near-shore marine environment might have existed at one time. Marine shales, siltstones, mudstone containing inner beds of calcareous fossil clams, gypsum layers and fine grain sandstone have been found there. Preservation of these natural resources and leaving this 40-acre area in a natural state were the driving forces behind the combined efforts of the Arlington Parks and Recreation Department and the Friends of the Crystal Canyon Nature Area in the development of this park. To wit, a small parking lot, a half-mile soft-surface trail, and a few educational signs and benches are the only man-made items you’ll find there.